A visa revocation ends the visa’s validity for future travel, even when the visa foil remains physically intact in the passport. The Department of State may revoke or provisionally revoke a nonimmigrant visa, and CBP may revoke or cancel a visa in specified port-of-entry and immigration-enforcement circumstances.
Revocation does not always establish permanent inadmissibility, and it ordinarily does not by itself terminate a person’s existing period of authorized stay inside the United States. The underlying event—such as an arrest, status violation, suspected fraud, petition change, or entry refusal—may nevertheless create separate immigration consequences.
Under 22 C.F.R. §41.122, a nonimmigrant visa may be revoked at any time in the discretion of an authorized Department official. A provisional revocation has the same force as a final revocation unless reversed.
Once revocation is entered into the Department’s lookout system, the visa is no longer considered valid for travel. The government does not have to recover the passport or stamp “REVOKED” across the visa for the action to be effective.
The regulation requires notice when practicable. A visa holder may learn of revocation through an embassy message, airline boarding problem, later visa application, or CBP encounter.
An airline may be unable to board the traveler, or CBP may identify the revocation. Attempting travel without first understanding the reason can create additional records and risk.
A visa that looks valid in the passport can be electronically revoked. Conversely, a visa may be physically marked or cancelled for a reason that requires separate legal interpretation.
Department internal procedures may reverse a provisional revocation. When reversed, the regulation states that the visa immediately resumes the validity shown on its face.
Even an unrevoked visa only permits travel to request admission. CBP independently determines whether the traveler is admissible and eligible for the requested classification.
| Term | What it generally means | Effect | Typical next step |
|---|---|---|---|
| Department of State revocation | An authorized State Department official determines that an issued visa should no longer be valid or provisionally suspends validity while reviewing eligibility. | The visa cannot be used for travel once revocation is entered in the Department’s system. | Identify the reason, preserve notice, respond to any proposed revocation, seek appropriate reconsideration, or file a new visa application. |
| CBP cancellation or revocation | An immigration officer acts in a circumstance authorized by 22 C.F.R. §41.122(e), often connected to withdrawal, removal, voluntary departure, or another admission event. | The visa is physically cancelled and generally cannot be used again. | Obtain CBP records and analyze admission, removal, inadmissibility, and waiver consequences. |
| Cancellation without prejudice | The visa is cancelled without necessarily making a formal fraud or permanent inadmissibility finding. | The visa is unusable, but the notation alone does not decide future visa eligibility. | Determine the reason and prepare a new application addressing it. |
| Automatic voidance under INA §222(g) | Certain overstays or failures to maintain status can automatically void a visa and affect where the person must apply for a new one. | The prior visa generally cannot be reused after departure. | Analyze the I-94, timely filed applications, authorized stay, exceptions, and application location. |
| Visa expiration | The validity period printed on the visa has ended. | The visa cannot be used for a new entry, but expiration is not itself misconduct or a revocation. | Apply for a new visa when travel requires one. |
| Loss of status inside the United States | The person violated or exceeded the period or conditions of admission or USCIS-authorized status. | Status consequences arise under DHS law and the I-94, regardless of the visa foil’s expiration date. | Analyze status, departure, reinstatement, extension, change, unlawful presence, and future visa consequences. |
USCIS may revoke an H-1B, L-1, O-1, immigrant, or other petition, while the Department of State controls visa revocation. Petition revocation can eliminate the factual basis for using a petition-based visa, but the two government actions are legally distinct and should be analyzed separately.
INA §221(i) and 22 C.F.R. §41.122 authorize a consular officer, the Secretary of State, or a delegated Department official to revoke a nonimmigrant visa. Department officials may also use provisional revocation while considering information concerning continued eligibility.
The issuing consular post may contact the holder, but centralized Department offices may also act, including when the person is in or traveling to the United States.
Immigration officers may revoke or physically cancel visas in specified circumstances, including removal, withdrawal of an application for admission, final removal orders, certain voluntary departures, revocation of a related INA §212(d)(3) waiver, misuse by another person, or physical removal of the visa from the passport.
A port-of-entry action may also create separate expedited-removal, inadmissibility, or immigration-record consequences.
The Department may conclude that the person no longer qualifies for the visa category, including a classification or immigrant-intent issue that would support INA §214(b).
New or previously unknown facts may suggest criminal, fraud, unlawful-presence, removal, health, security, smuggling, or another INA §212 ground.
An arrest, charge, conviction, warrant, police report, or law-enforcement notification can trigger review. The immigration result depends on the actual statute, disposition, conduct, and applicable inadmissibility rules.
Department guidance contains a special process for recent DUI or similar arrest or conviction information. Revocation may require a new medical and visa-eligibility review; it does not by itself establish a permanent criminal inadmissibility ground.
The government may believe the visa was obtained through a material false statement or that later conduct reveals the original travel purpose was misrepresented.
Unauthorized work, school or SEVIS problems, prolonged or repeated visits, failure to maintain petition employment, or use of the visa for an impermissible purpose can call continued eligibility into question.
Petition withdrawal, revocation, employer closure, corporate changes, changed duties, worksite issues, or other material facts can undermine a petition-based visa.
New screening, organization, travel, military, technology, export-control, terrorism, sanctions, or foreign-policy information may lead to centralized Department action.
The regulation also addresses visas removed from the passport, misuse by another person, EVUS noncompliance, and other specific circumstances affecting validity.
A provisional revocation has the same force and effect as another revocation unless and until reversed. The visa should not be used for travel while the provisional action remains in place.
The Department may reverse the provisional revocation through internal procedures. The visa then resumes the validity shown on its face, unless another ground of revocation exists.
The Department may examine police, court, medical, petition, status, travel, security, and other records before deciding whether to reverse the action or maintain revocation.
For travelers subject to the Electronic Visa Update System, failure to comply with EVUS requirements can automatically provisionally revoke the visa. Compliance can automatically reverse that specific EVUS-based revocation.
A provisional revocation signals that the visa is unusable while review continues. The notice should be examined before assuming that a permanent statutory inadmissibility finding has already been made.
A new application may be required, but first determine whether the provisional issue can be resolved, whether the post expects a response, and whether a new application would face the same record.
Department guidance ordinarily directs a consular officer, when practicable, to notify the visa holder of the intention to revoke and allow an opportunity to show why revocation should not occur.
Notice may be impracticable when the person’s location is unknown, travel is imminent, or warning could prompt immediate attempted travel. The regulation also recognizes that revocation can be effective regardless of successful delivery.
A response should address classification eligibility, the underlying incident, court or medical records, petition facts, status compliance, identity, or legal inadmissibility—not merely request sympathy.
Visa revocation does not have a broad conventional applicant-filed appeal. Available action may include responding before final revocation, requesting reconsideration through the post or Department, or filing a new visa application.
The regulation expressly provides internal reversal of provisional revocation. A final revocation ordinarily requires a new issuance decision before future travel.
When the government relied on an inaccurate police, court, CBP, USCIS, SEVIS, FBI, medical, or identity record, correct the source while presenting protective evidence to the Department.
If the Department treats the underlying facts as an INA §212 ground, the applicant may challenge the legal finding and seek available nonimmigrant waiver relief in the alternative. A waiver is not needed merely because a visa was revoked; it is needed only for a legally applicable waivable ground.
A visa is a travel document used to seek admission. Status inside the United States is generally controlled by the I-94, the terms of admission, and later USCIS or DHS action.
Revocation of the visa generally prevents future travel on that visa but does not by itself erase an otherwise valid period of authorized stay already granted by CBP or USCIS.
Unauthorized employment, failure to study, petition withdrawal, criminal conduct, fraud, or another event may independently violate status or create removal consequences.
After departure, the person generally cannot return on the revoked visa and may trigger unlawful-presence, prior-removal, or application-location consequences depending on the history.
USCIS may consider the underlying event when adjudicating an extension, change of status, adjustment, employment authorization, or other benefit. The revoked foil itself is not the only issue.
A person inside the United States should review current status, petition validity, unlawful presence, arrest or court developments, waiver needs, and new-visa strategy before departing.
An ordinary driving-under-the-influence conviction generally requires separate analysis and should not automatically be treated as a permanent moral-turpitude finding.
The Department may require a panel-physician examination to assess whether alcohol-related conduct is associated with a physical or mental disorder and harmful behavior under INA §212(a)(1)(A)(iii).
Collect the charging document, police report where relevant, chemical test, plea, judgment, sentence, treatment and evaluation records, compliance proof, and evidence of later conduct.
Aggravated DUI, injury, child endangerment, driving on a suspended license, drugs, fleeing, or false statements can create separate criminal or discretionary issues.
Current diagnosis, remission, recurrence risk, treatment, abstinence, and the panel physician’s technical instructions may control whether the health ground continues.
The applicant should expect to disclose the arrest or conviction, provide certified court records, complete any required medical examination, and address visa-category eligibility and discretion.
CBP may permit a traveler to withdraw the application for admission and return abroad. The visa may be cancelled, and the traveler must accurately disclose the event in future applications.
A removal order under INA §235 can trigger a five-year or longer inadmissibility bar, visa cancellation, and possible need for Form I-212 or another remedy.
CBP may allege that the traveler misrepresented the purpose of travel, prior work, residence, relationships, criminal history, or another material fact. That can create a permanent INA §212(a)(6)(C)(i) issue.
This notation means the visa is unusable but does not necessarily establish permanent fraud or another statutory bar. The inspection record must still be reviewed.
Request the I-275, I-867A/B, I-860, I-213, sworn statement, inspection notes, and other available records. The passport notation alone may not show the full basis.
The event may affect ESTA, future visa issuance, admission, removal bars, waivers, adjustment of status, and naturalization. Review the admission decision as well as the cancelled visa.
An immigrant visa may be revoked before the holder is admitted as a lawful permanent resident when information shows that the person was not entitled to the visa or became ineligible.
Department guidance provides notice of proposed revocation and an opportunity to present evidence when practicable. Urgent or unavailable-holder circumstances may affect notice.
Marriage, divorce, death, petition changes, employment changes, new arrests, inadmissibility, medical developments, or visa-category facts can affect entitlement before admission.
Once the immigrant visa has been used for admission and lawful permanent residence begins, later challenges generally proceed through rescission, removal, abandonment, or other LPR procedures rather than ordinary visa revocation.
A person facing immigrant visa revocation should present the petition, civil documents, eligibility evidence, legal analysis, and any waiver approval before the travel document is cancelled.
An unused immigrant visa can expire without a finding of wrongdoing. Revocation is an affirmative government action based on eligibility or another legal basis.
Do not rely on a generic revocation notice. Analyze the visa category, government record, arrest or conduct, petition, status, travel history, and possible INA §212 finding.
A final revocation generally means a new visa application, fee, interview, and fresh eligibility determination. The DS-160 or DS-260 must disclose the revocation accurately.
Current Department guidance generally directs nonimmigrant applicants to apply in the country of nationality or residence, subject to designated-post and limited exception rules.
Obtain a new or amended petition, employer evidence, corporate documents, or USCIS reaffirmation when the prior petition no longer supports the visa.
Challenge an incorrect finding, prove an exception, wait out a time-limited bar, or request INA §212(d)(3), Form I-601, Form I-212, medical, or other relief where legally available.
A new application may require security, criminal, medical, petition, or identity review. Reapplication does not erase the record that caused revocation.
Preserve the proposed revocation, final revocation, provisional revocation, email, telephone record, passport notation, airline message, and case-status information.
Obtain the exact DS-160 or DS-260, petition, interview evidence, prior applications, and all statements used to secure the visa.
Use certified court and police records, medical reports, employment records, school documents, contracts, communications, travel evidence, and reliable translations.
Collect I-94 records, USCIS approvals, extensions, changes of status, SEVIS history, employment authorization, CBP records, departures, and prior admissions.
Correct inaccurate source records and document dismissal, acquittal, amended disposition, medical clearance, treatment, rehabilitation, petition validity, or lawful activity.
Separate visa-classification eligibility, statutory inadmissibility, revocation procedure, source-record errors, waiver eligibility, and discretionary factors.
Do not rely on the unmarked visa foil. Confirm the electronic status and obtain legal advice before attempting to board or present the visa to CBP.
Determine whether the action came from a consular post, centralized State Department office, CBP, automatic EVUS rules, or an overstay-related statutory provision.
Collect the visa application, passport, petition, I-94, arrest or medical records, government messages, and a complete chronology.
If inside the United States, analyze the current I-94, petition, employment or school compliance, unlawful presence, and consequences of departure.
Determine whether the visa category was lost, an INA §212 ground applies, the record is accurate, a statutory exception exists, or the action remains provisional.
Respond to proposed revocation, request appropriate Department review, correct source records, obtain a new petition, or prepare a new visa application and waiver strategy.
Disclose the revocation accurately on later visa, ESTA, admission, adjustment, waiver, and naturalization filings and explain its resolution consistently.
It means the visa is no longer valid for travel. The action may be provisional while eligibility is reviewed or final based on a classification, inadmissibility, petition, enforcement, or other legally recognized issue.
Yes. Once revocation is entered into the Department’s system, the visa is no longer valid for travel even if the government did not recover the passport or physically cancel the visa foil.
The government should provide notice when practicable, but revocation may be effective even when notice was not delivered. Advance notice may be impracticable when the holder cannot be located or travel is imminent.
It temporarily removes the visa’s validity while the Department reviews eligibility. It has the same travel effect as final revocation unless reversed through Department procedures.
Yes. Under 22 C.F.R. §41.122, reversal restores the visa’s facial validity unless another revocation ground remains.
Usually not by itself. A visa concerns travel and admission, while status is generally governed by the I-94 and DHS action. The conduct causing revocation may independently affect status or removability.
No. A provisional revocation has the same force as another revocation while it remains in place. The visa should not be used for travel.
No. A DUI may trigger visa revocation and medical review, but the final immigration analysis depends on the offense, associated conduct, medical findings, and any other charges or convictions.
There is no universal conventional applicant appeal. Depending on the posture, the holder may respond to proposed revocation, seek reconsideration or reversal through Department channels, correct an erroneous record, or file a new visa application.
Only if the underlying facts create a legally applicable waivable inadmissibility ground. Revocation itself is not a separate ground waived by Form I-601 or INA §212(d)(3).
Generally yes, unless another law prevents issuance. The applicant must disclose the revocation, establish the visa classification, address the underlying problem, and obtain any required waiver or petition.
No. A Department revocation and a CBP port-of-entry cancellation can have different procedures and consequences. An airport event may also involve withdrawal, expedited removal, fraud allegations, or another admission finding.
Cancellation notations, cancellation without prejudice, airport action, overstay voidance, and reapplication.
CBP inspection, withdrawal, expedited removal, sworn statements, inadmissibility, records, and return strategy.
§214(b), §221(g), INA §212, CEAC status, petition issues, reapplication, reconsideration, and waivers.
Statutory inadmissibility, incorrect findings, exceptions, permanent bars, immigrant waivers, and §212(d)(3).
CBP inspection, visa cancellation, withdrawal, expedited removal, inadmissibility, and returning to the United States.
Inspection notes, sworn statements, withdrawal and removal records, I-213, I-275, I-860, and travel history.
Incorrect police, court, CBP, USCIS, SEVIS, identity, medical, and consular records affecting revocation.
New applications, disclosure, changed circumstances, correct post, supporting evidence, and interview preparation.
The strongest response begins by separating the travel document from the underlying immigration issue. Revocation, status, petition eligibility, inadmissibility, CBP action, and waiver relief require different legal analyses.
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